Spring cushion structure



April 5, 1938. A. KRAKAUER 2,113,377

SPRING CUSHION STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

' I /HFZRQEY INVENTOR Abraham Ap 1938. A. KRAKAUER 2,113,377

SPRING CUSHION STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 17, 1936 Y 2 Shets-Shget 2 I INVNTOR Abraham rakauer ORNEY Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNlTED STATES PATENTOFFICE Abrahai zffali ii ffozlfn f l fit a fimor to Kay ManufacturingCorporation, Brooklyn,

N. Y., a corporation oi New York Application January 1'7, 1936, SerialNo. 59,485,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to spring structures for cushions, mattresses,bed bottoms and the like .and particularly, to the type in which aseries of similar upstanding coil springs are arranged in parallel rowsand secured together.

My invention contemplates the provision of suitably shaped anddiametrically opposed looped locking portions in the end coils of thevarious springs by means of which adjacent springs may be interlocked'with each other and/or with a frame wire or bracing wire in hingedrelation by means of indented wires passing through said lockingportions.

My invention further contemplates the provision of securing means forthe springs, which means is arranged at all times in such relation tothe end coils of the springs that said means cannot injure the coveringlayers of filling material customarily used in mattresses, cushions andpillows of the type to which this invention is applicable.

My invention further contemplates the provision of securing means forthe springs which are so shaped that said means are free of projectionswhich would tend to wear through the filling material in the course oftime.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a spring structuredesigned to be economically and quickly made and assembled and securelyheld together against relative movement in any direction except arelative hinging movement by means of a minimum quantity ofcomparatively thin wires.

The various objects of my invention will be clear from the descriptionwhich follows, and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a spring structure embodying myinvention, it being understood that the remaining parts of the structureare constructed similarly to those parts shown to form the completecushion or mattress.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of one of the coil springs and of theconnecting wires.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interlocked end coils ofadjacent springs and the securing wire therefor.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a somewhat modifled form of thespring structure, wherein the springs are anchored at two diametricallyopposed points only.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of another modified .form of the structurewherein the springs are each anchored at four points.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but wherein a pair-of indents aremade in the securing wire outside of the locking portionsoi the endcoils.

In the practicalembodiment of my irvention which I have illustrated byway of example in Fig. 1, the coil springs III, II, I2, I! and possiblyother similar springs not shown are arranged to form an edge row.Similarly, the springs it, I5, i 6 and i1 form part of an intermediaterow which may be adjacent the center of the cushion of which said row ofsprings forms a part, or if the cushion or mattress is so wide that thesprings ill and it do not reach to the center of the cushion, said rowof springs i4, i5, i6 and I! may constitute an intermediate row similarto the next succeeding row which next row comprises in part, the springsl8, l9 and 20. The number of intermediate rows and the number of springsin each row may obviously be greatly varied in accordance with the sizeof the article in which the structure is to be used. It will beunderstood, however, that the peripheral or edge row of springs on theright edge of the spring structure, as viewed in Fig. 1, is similar tothe first described edge row consisting of the springs III, II, i1, i3,and hence the right hand edge row need not be shown nor furtherdescribed.

All of the springs, however, are preferably made substantially identicalin size and shape and therefore, a description of one of the springswill suflice for all. The end coils 2| and 22 of the spring are eachprovided with one or more pairs of diametrically opposed and suitablyshaped parts providing integral locking members by means of which theend coil may be secured to the end coil of one or more adjacent springs,or to the frame wire 23, or to auxiliary bracing wires,'where suchbracingwires are found to be desirable.

In those cases where it is desired to anchor the end coils of eachspring at two points only, a single pair 8, 9 of locking members isprovided in each of the end coils (Fig. 4). Where, however,

the end coils are to be anchored at three points,

facture, a complete additional pair of locking members maybe provided ona diameter of the end coil at right angles to the diameter passingthrough the centers of the pair of locking members 6 and 2. I havetherefore shown this form of end coil in Fig. 1 wherein two pairs oflooking members are provided even though the spring is shown as anchoredat three points only of its end coil.

In Fig. 5, I have shown each end coil of the spring anchored at fourpoints whereby both pairs of locking members are utilized in theformation of the spring structure. I

It will be understood that the locking members of a pair are similar inconstruction and formation though differing in width. Each of thelooking members comprises a pair of parallel spaced loops each closed atone end and open 'at the other, the closed end of theloop beingpositioned at a point outwardly beyond the remainder of the end coilfrom which it is integrally bent. Each of said loops is arranged in aplane parallel to the axis of the spring, which plane is customarilyvertical. The loops are integrally Joined .to'each other by acontinuation of the corresponding parts of the open ends thereof, theremainder of the open end of the loop being integrally joined and bentdirectly from the end coil.

As shown in Fig. 3, there is thus provided a bent portion in the endcoil 2| of the spring II, which bent portion constitutes a lockingmember and comprises a pair of spaced vertical loops 26, 26, which loopsare open as at 21 to permit the locking member to be hingedly connectedto the locking wire 24 and which loops are joined integrally by a'U-shaped portion 26. The loops 2! and 26 and the U-shaped connectingportion 26 constitutes the narrower locking member 2.

Similarly, the locking member 6 of the end coil 2| of the springcomprises a pair of loops 22, 2| open respectively at the respectiveends 22, 22 thereof and joined by the integral U- shaped portion 24, theloops 26 and 2| being spaced apart sufficiently to receive the loops 25,26 of the locking member 6 therebetween.

The U-shaped portions 26 and 24 are arranged below the end coils 2| and2| respectively. Similarly, the corresponding U-shaped parts of thelocking members in the end coil 22 are arranged above the plane of saidend coil 22 so that in either case, the U-shaped parts of the lockingmembers are in vertical spaced relation to the respective end coils fromwhich they are bent and hence the upper surface of the spring structureis free of projections which might engage the filling material.

It will also be seen that when the locking members are interlocked, aspace as 26 is provided between the U-shaped connecting parts 26 and. 24for the reception of the indent 26 of the locking wire 24.

In the preferred mode of assembling the springs, the loops 26, 26, 26and 2| of the locking members 6 and 6 are preferably positioned with theopenings thereof in alignment and thereby arranged for the reception ofthe preferably straight locking wire 24. After said wire has beeninserted through the loops, it is indented as at 26 to protrude throughthe space 25 in a direction away from the adjacent end coils of thesprings which it connects. It will be understood, however, if desired,thatthe indents 26 may be preformed at the proper spaced intervals inthe wire 24 before its assembly with the locking members 6 and 6.

In this case, the parts are assembled by pass-- ing the end coils of thesprings transversely across the wire 24 to arrange the indent 26 thereofin the space 26 of the locking member 6 while at the-same time passingthe locking member 6 in the opposite direction transversely across thewire 24 to arrange the loops 26 and 2| outside of the loops 26 and 26respectively, the indent 26 being also arranged at the same time in thespace 26 inside of the U-shaped member 24. The wire thus passes throughthe open ends 21 of the loops 26 and 26 and also passes through the openends 22 and 22 of the loops 26 and 2|. It is preferable when thusassembling the locking members and the wire 24, to arrange the end coils2| and 2| of the respective springs in relatively inclined planes tofacilitate the assembling operation.

Whether or not the indents 26 are made in the wire 24 before or afterthe wire has been assemb led with its locking members, the open ends 22and 22 of the respective loops 26 and 2| are preferably partly orentirely closed by bending the U-shaped member toward the adjacent endcoil 2| and thereby'to carry said U-shaped portion into contact with orclose to the closed ends of the loops 26 and 26.

It will be seen that the wire 24 locks the end coils of the springs l6and II hingedly together against movement in any direction except arelative swinging movement about the wire 24. Since the indent 26 ispreferably long enough to extend between the loops 2! and 26, the endcoil of the spring l6 cannot move in a direction lonthat the end coilsof the springs are locked to each other and to the wire 24 and areprevented from any relative movement except a hinging or rotary movementabout the wire 24, and that the interlocked springs and wire are therebycompelled to move bodily as a unit under the pressure put upon thestructure.

The wire 24 is preferably secured at its ends to the frame wire 22 as bymeans of the coil or twist 21. It will be understood that the frame wire22 extends completely around the spring structure and that while onlypart of said wire and said structure is shown in Fig. 1, the remainderof said structure is similar to that shown. Where, as in Fig. 1,anadditional looking member as 26 is provided midway between the members6 and 5 of the end coil 2|, said member 26 is secured to the frame wire22 by the passage of said frame wire through the loops 22 and 2|thereof, a downward indentation as 26 being made in the frame wirebetween said loops to lock the spring against-longitudinal movementrelatively to the frame wire.

The end coil of the corner spring i2 may be additionally secured to theside 46 of the frame wire by means of a locking member 6 thereof and anindent 4| in the frame wire.

The corner spring I0 is thus secured to one side of the frame wire 22and also to the other side 46 of said frame wire. the end coils beingfurther secured .to the corresponding end coils of the adjacent shr e Hto provide a three point anchorage for. theupper and lower end coils.

SimilarlYTimany oi the intermediate rows, if a three point anchorage isdesired, the springs are secured to each other and either to the framewire or the optional auxiliary or bracing wire ll secured at its ends asat II to the side 4. of the frame wire 23. For example, the end coil ofthe spring i4 is secured to the frame wire as by means of the indent 43.Said end coil is also secured to the auxiliary wire by means of theadditional locking member 42 and is further secured to the end coil of.the adjacent spring II by the locking members hereinbefore described.Simlarly, the end coils of the spring ll aresecured to the end coils ofthe adjacent springs. l4 and It as well as to the auxiliary wire 50.

Where, however, the use of less wire is desirable, a two point anchoragefor each of the intermediate rows of springs may be provided and theedge row may be secured to the frame wire by means of ordinary sheetmetal clips bent around the spring and the frame wire in a manner wellknown in the art and hence which need not be shown nor described. 'Thetwo point anchorage for the springs or intermediate rows is shown inFig. '4 wherein the bracing wires 50 are omitted and a single pair oflocking members 8 and 9 is provided in each of the and coils of eachspring.

Referring to the edge spring 52, the locking member 8 thereof is securedto the frame wire 53 in the same manner as hereinbefore described inconnection with the spring I4. The locking member 9 is joined to thecorresponding member 8 of the adjacent spring 54 by-the locking wire 55as hereinbefore described in connection with the wire 24.

In some cases, it may be desirable to anchor the springs at four points.As shown in Fig. 5, the spring is provided with the pair of lockingmembers GI and 62 and also with the additional pair of locking members63 and 64. It thereby becomes possible to interlock the spring 60 withthe adjacent spring-65 by means of the locking member 6!, the lockingwire 68 and the corresponding narrower locking member of the spring 65.Similarly, the spring 60 may be locked to the adjacent spring 61 bymeans of the looking wire 68. If desired, the locking wires 66 and 68may be made only of sufficient length to project a comparatively smallextent beyond the loops of the locking members though in the structureshown in Figs. 1 and 4, it is preferable though not essential that thecorresponding locking wires 24 and 55 extend completely across thestructure and be tied to the frame wire.

Referring again to Fig. 5, the short locking wires 89 and I0 hingedlyconnect the locking members 63 and respectively, to the correspondinglocking members of the respective adjacent springs H and I2. Saidcomparatively short wires 69 and Ill are each provided with an indent as13 similar to the indent 36 of the wire 24, which indent may bepreformed before the wire is inserted through the loops of the lockingmembers or which may be made later after the assembly, as may be foundconvenient.

As shown in Fig. 6, for the indent 36 entering the space 35 may besubstituted a pair of indents I4 and 15 made in the locking wire 16 andarranged beyond the loops 3! and 3|, respectively.

Said indents function in the same manner as the indent fl preventinglongitudinal movement of the end coils relatively to the locking wireIt, whether said wire be long or short.

A spring structure is, therefore provided in which there are noprojecting parts on the upperor lower surface of the structure whichwould tend to wear through or to-injure the comparatively softv fillingmaterial which is arranged on economical interlocking arrangement of thesprings of a spring structure, the parts of which are quickly and easilyassembled, and which structure is well designed to meet the severerequirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described a certain specific embodiment of myinvention, I do not .wish to beunderstood as limiting myself theretosince I desire to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted bythe state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a spring structure, a first coil spring having an upper end coiland a lower end coll, each of said end coils being provided with anintegral locking portion bent from the material of the end coil at apoint in spaced relation to the extremity of said coil, said lockingportion comprising a pair of loops arranged in substantially parallelrelation and spaced a predetermined distance apart, the outer end ofeach of said loops remote from the end coil being closed and the otherends of said loops being open and joined by a U-shaped member arrangedin lateral spaced relation to the remainder of the end coil, a secondcoil spring having end coils, a locking member bent integrally from thematerial of each of the end coils and adapted to engage and to be lockedto the locking portion of said first spring, each'of said lockingmembers comprising a pair of parallel spaced closed loops extendingoutwardly from the endcoil and being spaced apart a distance greaterthan that between the loops of said first spring, said closed loops eachhaving an integral bend at one' end thereof and being joined at theother ends thereof by a connecting portion integral therewith andarranged inwardly of the end coil, said closed loops being respectivelyarranged in outwardly adjacent relation to the respective open loops,and extending transversely from said springs in opposite directions, awire passing through said closed and open loops, and an indented portionin the wire arranged in a plane at substantially right angles to theplanes of the loops and adjacent said loops, said wire being preventedfrom moving transversely in one direction by the closed ends of theloops of said first spring and from moving in the other direction by theintegral bends of the closed loops.

2. In a spring structure, a pair of coil springs, each having an endcoil, a pair of locking members one wider than the other bent integrallyfrom the endcoil of each of the springs, the wider locking member of onespring embracing the narrower locking member of the other spring, eachof said narrower locking members comprising a pair of spaced loopsarranged in respective parallel vertical planes, each of said loops ingmembers, and a vertical indent in the wire between the loops or thenarrower locking mem-' .1 ber, said indent being of suflicient depth toprebeing open at one of its ends, and being con, nected at its open endby a transverse member;

to the open end of the other loop, the wider locking members having apair oi spaced vertical loops each arranged adjacent and parallel to aloop of the narrower locking member, a straight wire passing through thefour loops 01 said lockvent longitudinal movement oi said wirerelatively to said loops and to prevent material rotation of said wirein said loops.

3. In a spring structure, means for locking a pair of coil springstogether comprising a locking member in-and integral with the end coilof one 01 the springs, a narrower locking member in and integral withthe end coil of the other spring and arranged within the ilrst'-mentioned locking member, each 01' said locking members comprising apair of spaced substantially parallel loops bent from the material ofthe end coil, and a wire passing through the four loops of the lockingmembers and provided with a pair or depressed shoulders each adjacentone of the loops and arranged in a plane substantially parallel to theaxis 01 the spring, all of said loops being in planes also substantiallyparallel to said axis.

4. In a spring structure, a series of coil springs arranged in rows, andmeans for locking adjacent springs of a row together to anchor the.endcoils of each spring at a plurality of spaced points, said meanscomprising a plurality of locking members in each of the end coilsofeach spring, one of the locking members being wider than another, eachoi said locking members comprising a pair of spaced outwardly extendingloops and a bent portion integral with and connecting the loops andarranged inwardly of the adjacent part of the end coil, the spacesenclosed by the loops of the wider locking member of one spring beingarranged in alignment with and outside of the spaces enclosed by theloops of the narrower locking member of the adjacent spring, and meansfor hingedly connecting said loops together and preventing relativelongitudinal movement thereof.

5. In a spring structure, a series of coil springs, a locking member ineach of the end coils of each spring, the locking members of adjacentsprings overlapping each other and each comprising a pair of spacedloops integrally connected to each other, one of the overlapping lockingmembers being wider than the other, a

frame wire around the periphery of the structure, locking wires eachextending completely across thestructure and through the four loops ofeach pair of overlapping locking members, the ends of each of saidlocking wires being secured to the frame wire, indents in the lockingwires adjacent the loops, and means for connecting the end coils of theoutermost springs to said frame wire. A

6. In a spring structure, a series 01' coil springs arranged in rows, aframe wire secured to the.

springs of the outer rows, a pair of loops extending outwardly from eachof the end coils of adjacent springs and arranged in planes parallel tothe axis of the springs, at least one of the loops or one pair beingarranged between the loops of the other pair, and transverse lockingwires each passing through both of the pairs of the loops of adjacentsprings and secured at both endsto the frame wire.

7. In a spring structure, a series of rows of coil springs, the endcoils of each of said springs each having a pair of circumferentiallyspaced locking members integrally bent therefrom, one oi. said lockingmembers being wider than the other, said one locking member comprising apair of parallel, outwardly projecting, spaced, substantially closed,bent loops providing a pair of spaced vertical eyes, said loops beingintegrally joined by a member arranged inwardly of the adjacent part 01'the end coil, said other locking member comprising a pair of paralleloutwardly projecting bent loops providing a pair of vertical eyes spacedapart a distance less than the distance between the eyes oi. said onelooking member, a

member integrally joining the loops of said other locking member andarranged inwardly of the adjacent part of the end coil, said one lockingmember of each of the springs in-a row receiving said other lockingmember of the adjacent spring in the row to align the eyes of saidlocking members, and a wire passing through all of the eyes of theinterengaging loops of the springs in adjacent rows, the bends of theloops in said one locking member preventing transverse movement of thewire in one direction and the bends oi the loops in said other lockingmember preventing transverse movement of the wire in the otherdirection, said wire having a vertical indent therein adjacent the loopsand preventing relative movement of the locking members and the wirlongitudinally of the wire.

ABRAHAM KRAKAUER.

